SEPTA Board Awards Contract for Purchase of New Market-Frankford Line Fleet

Modern Railcars Will Offer Greater Accessibility, Capacity & Reliability on SEPTA’s Workhorse Line

Philadelphia - SEPTA today awarded a contract to Hitachi Rail for the purchase of modern railcars to replace the aging Market-Frankford Line [L] fleet. The new rail fleet will provide significant improvements to the customer experience with greater accessibility, capacity, and reliability.

Under the contract, SEPTA will receive 200 railcars, with the option to order up to 40 additional cars. The total contract amount for the base order is $724.3 million. Delivery of the new railcars is scheduled to begin in 2029 with full fleet delivery by the end of 2031.

“The Market-Frankford Line is SEPTA’s workhorse – moving tens of thousands of people every day to work, school, medical appointments, and many other destinations,” said SEPTA Board Chair Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr. “This is a critically needed upgrade to our fleet, and the SEPTA Board will work closely with staff to ensure that this procurement proceeds on-schedule and on-budget.”

In February, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced that SEPTA will receive approximately $317 million toward the purchase of the new railcars – the largest competitive federal grant the Authority has ever won. The investment was part of the second Rail Vehicle Replacement Program package funded by the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which has now invested approximately $1.3 billion to replace rail vehicles nationwide.

“Replacing this fleet is the top priority in our capital improvement plan, and we are grateful for the support of the Southeast Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation in securing this funding,” said SEPTA CEO and General Manager Leslie S. Richards. “I also want to assure our customers that we have a dedicated staff of mechanics and engineers who are working hard to keep our current Market-Frankford Line fleet safe and reliable while we prepare for the arrival of the new railcars.”

“It is a great honor to be awarded the contract to deliver our modern, innovative rail cars for SEPTA’s Market-Frankford Line [L]. The new fleet will offer a modern look as well as huge benefits for passengers – providing more capacity, greater reliability and improved customer experience. The trains will feature the latest passenger information systems and open gangways for ease of use by passengers,” said Luca D’Aquila, COO and Head of Vehicles, Hitachi Rail. “The fleet will be delivered from our new state-of-the-art railcar factory in Hagerstown, Maryland, confirming Hitachi Rail’s commitment as a local player in the US market and creating new economic opportunities in Philadelphia and across the North East.”

SEPTA is utilizing lessons learned from the current fleet to make significant improvements with the new railcars. The new fleet will enhance the customer experience with designated, accessible spaces for riders with mobility devices, strollers, or bicycles. Other features will include:

• Automatic door operation
• Digital wayfinding displays with real-time data
• Regenerative breaking to conserve energy
• Open gangways with increased passenger flow and visibility for law enforcement
• Greater passenger capacity
• Enhanced passenger communication system
• Longitudinal seating
• Handholds for standees
• Onboard digital technology for greater reliability

Hitachi Rail’s North American headquarters is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The M5 railcars will be assembled at the company’s new railcar factory in Hagerstown, Maryland, which utilizes the latest green and digital technology as part of its manufacturing operations. This investment creates highly-skilled manufacturing and engineering jobs throughout Philadelphia, the Commonwealth, and the Northeast.

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ENDS